Trump’s Taiwan call exposes his inexperience, China state media say

However, Beijings public response has so far been measured, with the foreign ministry lodging a solemn representation with Washington and the foreign minister, Wang Yi, downplaying the development as a petty move by Taiwan.

The China Daily echoed that position on Sunday, reflecting what experts said was Beijings apparent desire not to immediately lock itself into a public confrontation with the US president-elect. The newspaper said there was no need to over-interpret the property tycoons unusual action.

Trump advisers have claimed Chinas low-key reaction proves Beijing has taken Fridays phone conversation in its stride.

But many China scholars believe the countrys Communist party leaders will have been both enraged and unnerved by the unexpected development.

John Delury, an east Asia expert from Yonsei University in Seoul, said the formal nature of Chinas immediate response did not mean there was not real anger in Beijing. I think it would be a mistake to think he got a pass. You dont get a pass on Taiwan. So I think it goes in his file, he said.

They are holding their fire but they are sizing him up. I think a classic mistake would be for Trump and his people to think: Wow, we got away with it. We can do that. Great!

Delury said much about Trumps likely policies towards China remained a mystery.

It was impossible to know whether the conversation with Tsai reflected the incoming presidents incompetence or, in fact, heralded the arrival of a major strategic shift in US policy the region.

In the wake of Fridays call Beijing would now be preparing for a provocative Taiwan policy, Delury added. Thats what this looks like to them. He is being provocative. He is waving a red flag. He is being insulting. He is breaking with all the protocol that has been carefully established.

Obviously this helps them size up Trump, this helps them get a read on how he is going to behave. And for Beijing this kind of behaviour is unacceptable. From their perspective this is not a peripheral issue. This is the core issue. This is also the core issue in US-China relations. And when the US president pokes his finger in this one, it is a hornets nest.

Shen Dingli, a prominent Chinese foreign policy expert from Shanghais Fudan University, told the New York Times such behaviour from Trump could not be tolerated once he reached the White House. I would close our embassy in Washington and withdraw our diplomats, Shen said. I would be perfectly happy to end the relationship.